A game of FIFA, which has been a quintessential part of football fan culture growing up and beyond for many, is set to undergo changes from next year. The governing body of football and Electronic Arts, who produce the game, have been unable to renew their agreement for the coming years.
The last edition of the game under the current name will be FIFA 23, set to come out in the final quarter of the year, will include the World Cup in Qatar and the Women’s World Cup.
EA Sports vice-president David Jackson told the BBC that little will change in terms of the game itself, apart from the name and the lack of World Cup content, which will no longer be available. The game will now be under the masthead of EA Sports FC.
FIFA wanted EA to pay double the $150m it currently does and also wanted to sell its name to other games developers. Months of wrangling ended in what EA’s separation describes as an “amicable” split. Qatar and 2023 Women’s World Cup will feature in last edition out in September
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According to EA Sports, there is no risk of a Pro Evolution style mimicry of names. They have the licences for UEFA, La Liga and the Premier League. Yet there will be a switch in some features, with Jackson mentioning Fortnite as a model of interaction to follow.
The end of the partnership comes after 29 years of producing games together, which began with FIFA 93.